Saturday, March 10, 2012

You Can Do Anything

Yes, you can do anything you set your mind to.  I believe it, and you need to believe it also.

I read a small article in the March AARP bulletin and I'd like to quote it.  Great story.

Author, Author
Jim Henry conquered illiteracy in his mid-90s.  Now he's the author of a book at 98.  "Never, never give up on anything even if what you're doing feels impossible," says Henry, a retired lobsterman in Mystic, Conn.  His self-published In a Fisherman's Language recounts his life through 29 stories.  The first two printings sold out, but his website, fishermanslanguage.com, is accepting orders for a third printing.  (author unknown)

Isn't that just the best thing you've read lately?  I know sometimes I get discouraged, thinking that I started too late in life to get published.  Sometimes I spend my time envying other big name authors like James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Karen Robards, and RaeAnn Thayne.  Sometimes I feel that I just don't have the time, the energy, etc, to succeed.  But then I see something like the above article, and I kick myself back into my computer chair and start working again, because I can succeed.  So can you.

Now, I didn't say it was easy.  Hey, is anything ever easy?  Not usually.  Every dream takes some work to achieve.  Every goal requires stamina, stick-to-it desire, and work to accomplish.  Tell yourself you can do it -- and do it.  Take baby steps and soon they'll turn into giant leaps.

One of my favorite says is:

 If it is to be, it's up to me.

 I love that saying because it is so true.  Every time I think I can't, I read that and remember, I can if I want to and if I'm willing to do what it takes.

I retired after over 30 years.  All those years I dreamed of writing and seeing one of my stories in print.  I joined Romance Writers of America.  I signed up for a few classes, and I started writing. I attended some writing conferences and listened to success stories.  I fought envy and then remembered to tell my friends congratulatons.  One day I decided to submit a story.  A friend talked me into it late one night as we were working on a contest.  I bit the bullet.  Sent in the query letter.  After some rewrites, edits, and lots of work, it got published.  I jumped for joy, then sat back down and kept on writing.  I feel I'm succeeding.  So can you.

Remember:

If it is to be, it's up to me.

Repeat that over and over again.  Post it next to your computer, your easy chair, wherever you spend time and need some encouragement.  Then put a plan into action.  Take the first step.

Good luck.